Display grids, also known as video walls, are used in the digital signage market, with gaming applications, flight simulation systems and for other purposes. The physical configuration includes typically, a matrix of displays (or monitors) arranged in rows and columns, single rows, or any other configuration. A display system generates the image frames such that a single large surface (SLS) is shown across the display grid. Such systems usually require manual input for the configuration of the display grid. Configuration data includes the number of displays in grid, width and height of the overall grid, the location of each display in the grid and viewport position of each display (i.e., the viewport that is showing on the display) for example. For n number of displays in the grid, the user needs to input the per display data (n−1) times. For a display grid that contains 24 or more displays, manual configuration can quickly become a tedious task, prone to human errors.
Automated approaches are also known that require the use of customized displays that include optical sensors or proximity sensors positioned for example on all four sides of each display. When the customized displays are activated the sensors can communicate with each other and indicate each display's respective position within the matrix or grid. However such systems can be costly because they require customized displays that each requires their own sensors to provide sensing capability. Off the shelf displays cannot be used.
An improved multi-display position arrangement configuring apparatus and method is desired.